God deals with men &coord.ing to tbeir mo1'8l attitude toward him), to avert the threatening calamity; but now he is ~one it is useless to indulge In le.rnent&tlon,1 tho will <>f God must be submitted to without repining (1 Sam. iii. 18), "'!'hose wh o are ignorant of the Divine life cannot comprehend the reasons of a beliover'e con<luot in hie vnried experiences" (Scott). "How little can any one of us understand another I 'l'he element of conscious sin gave to David thoughts and feelings other than the ordinary ones,.and beyond the appreciation of those whQ looked for the usual signs of grief" (R. 'luck). "In the case of a man whose penitence was so earnest and so deep, the prayer for the preservation of his child must have sprung from some other source than exces8ive love of any created object. His great desire was to avert the stroke, as a ei"'n of the wrath of God, in the hope that he might be able to discern, in the preservati~n of the child, a proof'Of Divine favour oonsequent upon the restoration of his fellowship with God. But when the child wa..~ dead he humbled himself under the mighty hand of God, and rested satisfied with his grace, without giving himself up to fruitless pain " (0. von GerlRch). Consider-- I. HIS BELIEVING R'l!:OOG1'Tl'ION OF THE BA.ND OF GoD. "David was Q great lover of his children" (Patrick); and t,o suoh a father the sufferings of hie child must have been 11aturally a severe affliction. But: 1. He also perceived therein a ;'ust chastisement of his transgression. It is a common fact of experience (no less than a solemn declara- tion of Scripture) that the sufferings of a child are often the immediate and inevitable fruit of the father's sin. This is, indeed, by no means always the case. Iii most instances no moral caUBe thereof can be disoemed, eave the sinfulness of the race to which he belon,,O'S, e.nd which is subject tr> the universal law of sorrow and mortality. 2. He perceived therein, moreover, a merci,ful administration of such chastisement. "Thou shalt not die. Howbeit," etc. (ver. 14). His life was spared in mercy to him- self and his people. He was afflicted in such a manner e.s would be most conducive to his benefit. His child was smitten to stop the mouths of blasphemers. 'l'he innocent suffers for the guilty; suffers-who shall say (believing in the perfect wisdom, righteous- ness, and love of God) either unjustly or to his own ultimate disadvantage? 3. And he believed in the Divine susceptibility to human entreaty; and that it might be possible for the impending blow to be turned aside. "Who can tell whether God will be gmcious to me ? " (ver. 22). He· evidently regarded the prediction of the prophet, though absolute in form, as really oonditiona.l (Isa. xxxviii. 1; Jer. xviii. 7, 8). We have to do, not with an iron fate, but with a loving Father, "full of pity and merciful" (Jas. iv. 11; Ps. xxxiv. 15; ciii. 13). II. His PRAYERFUL Brn1ILIATION IN THE PRESENCE OF GoD. 1. Hie grief was not merely natural, but spiritual; penitential sorrow for sin, exhibited in solitary, thoughtful, continued self-abasement, fasting, weepin~, and genuine purposes of amend- ment (Ps. Ii 3, 4, 13). This is the end of God's afflictive discipline; and, when attained, it may be hoped that the immediate occasion thereof will be removed. Even when affliction is not directly dae to personal transgression, it should lead to reflection, humiliation, and "godly sorrow." 2. It was associated with fervent BUpplication. "And David besought God for the child" (ver. 16). "He herein only Hhowed his natural affection, still subordinating his prayer to the will of God ; as Christ did to show hiB human condition when he prayed that the cup might pass from him." (Willet). What evils does prayer avert, what blessings does it obtain, both for ourselves and others ! 3. Although the immediate object in view was not gained, his prayer was not unavailing. He received light, strength, and comfort; was kept from despair and enabled to endure in a right spirit whatever might occur. God always hears the cries of his children; but he often withholds what they ask. He fulfils their requests in a hi.,ber way, transforms the curse into a blessing, and gives them abundant tokens of hi; favour (ver. 25). "If we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us," eto. (1 John v. 14, 15). III. His CBEERBUL ACQumscENCE IN THE WILL OF GoD. "And David arose from the ground," etc. (ver. 20). Deeming it vain to strive against and mourn over an event which could not be altered, ~.':'-d wbich he regarded_ as the expr~esion of the s~tt~ed d!!termination of God (Deut. m. 26), he acted accordmgly: 1. With loyal submimon to his aovereign, wise, and beneficent will; strengthened by the conviction that he hirne'1lf would, ,ere long, " go the way of all the earth," and be at rest; and by tho hope on. xn. 1-31.] THE SECOND BOOK. OF SAMUEL. 315
of meeting hie child again in God (ver. 23), "Religion," it baa been remarked, "is summed Up in one word-submission. The chief virtue of Christianity and the root of all the rest is rendiness under all oircumstances to fulfi I the will of God in doing and suffering." 2. With resolute restraint upon bis natural feelings of sorrow and re<rret. "'l.'he unprofitablo and bnd con~equences, the sinful nature, of profuRe sorrowing for the de11d, are easily deduced from the former part of this reflection (' Wherefore shoold I fost?' etc.); in the latter (' I shall go to him') we have the strongest motives to enforce our striving against it--a remedy exactly suited to the disease" (John Wesley). 3. With cheerful peiformance of immediate, practical, appropriate duties; in due attention to personal appearance and needs, public worship in the house of God (" weeping must not hinder worship "), edifying conversation with friends, consoling counsel to the sorrowful (ver. 24). In this manner bereavement is most easily home and most effectually sanctified, and God is most worthily served and glorified.-D.